


Jade

by redriddinghood



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Historical, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-26 21:49:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14411256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redriddinghood/pseuds/redriddinghood
Summary: Jade(n): a hard, typically green stone used for ornaments and implements and consisting of the minerals jadeite or nephrite.Jade carries a sweet, light and nourishing energy that can feel very healing.One meaning of the jade stone is purity and purification. Another meaning of jade is gentleness and nourishment because jade is a stone that protects and supports loving heart energy.Jade may feel to you like an ancient sage that is so centered in his or her own being (and accepting of others) that just by being in their presence you feel elevated and nurtured.-When life turn downhill for Kihyun, he meet Shownu a gentle painter with complicated background.A thousand question and turns come up along when fate decide to collide them into one messy road of journey.Will Shownu be able to accept Kihyun that lost his name, his family, and his own life due to a misunderstandingWill they able to survive the hierarchy of Late Joseon eraWhen war after war come and obstacles come on every unexpected turn, will they able to keep their pure feels for each other





	1. I. The Begining

**Author's Note:**

> The story taking place on mid-late Joseon area around year 1610-1630.  
> the story is completely imaginary and other characters is original character.  
> Similarities will be purely coincidence.  
> It will not 100% historically accurate but I will do as much researches as possible and give as much details as possible so all of us can have a better image of the story.  
> There will be violence and angst due to the war, but it wont be too gore or graphic.  
> English is no my native language does korean, but there will be lots of korean terms to give a better image on the story.  
> But i will surely put a note to explain them as best as I can.  
> Kudos always makes me happy, but comment and feedback always help me to improve and give me boost to write.

People said a great tales always come with a tragedy on the opening.

Kihyun's family accused as a Japanese spy once his brother trapped and decide to join Japanese army that saved him from death.  
His father and brother worked in a pottery place and one day his brother accused for stealing one of the vase he delivered to one of the general house.  
On his way to escape, he met the Japanese army that offered him a protection by joining the army. Knowing his family status and condition he don’t have much option but accept the offer.  
He does ask the commander to not release his name as he will join the army as a slave, without name and nationality, but alas, one of the villager recognize him and spread the information that his brother is a betrayer and currently helping the Japanese army that attacking Joseon.  
His father, which is the only family kihyun have now bring kihyun to a gisaeng* house, in seek for help to save kihyun life.  
It’s the only way his father can think of and actually his great aunt is the owner of the place. His father leave kihyun there when he was 14, and thought he promised kihyun that he will back once the rumour settled and everything back to normal, as 2 years passed kihyun can't help to realize that he really is alone now.

Staying in gisaeng house as a man or boy, is not an easy job if not impossible.  
His great aunt know this and come up with a solution.  
Once his father leave, his great aunt came to his room with a handful of clothes, girl clothes.  
His mind still in hazy as his great aunt help him to get into one of the hanbok*.  
The hanbok is simple with white and jade accent colour for the top and full jade skirt made of cotton.  
His confusion grow even more as his aunt take comb and start brushing his hair.

" From now own, your name is Kihye, you don't have a last name as you don’t even remember your family and I've bought you as a maid to help my gisaeng here." She braided kihyun's hair into a single long tail and put a red ribbon on.  
"Stop crying and look at me now." She turned kihyun by his shoulder and look sharply at him.

" You no longer have a family now Kihyun. Your father might come back a year or two after the japanese gone or your family name is cleared but with the condition right now it will even be a miracle if he can survive for a week without being caught."  
She take a deep breath before take out a handkerchief and give it to kihyun.  
" I know it’s hard, but your father is a strong man, and he want you to keep alive.  
So you have to be strong, as strong or even more stronger than him.  
You can't live in gisaeng house as a boy because one you are over 10 years old and i know i can’t let you out anytime in near years.  
So start from now on, you are no more a Yoo's the pottery son, but an orphan girl named Kihye.  
It will allow me to keep you staying here for as long as needed and hopefully, will also get rid of those people that hunting you." She patted his head gently and kihyun can hear her stern voice get softer.

"i know it will be hard, kihyun-ah. But this is the only way to keep you safe. I am sorry for what happened in your family, especially just a year after the grief of your mother, but neither I can do anything else than this and keep you alive."  
With this, kihyun broke down on the woman's arms.  
"here, i'll set your bed so you can sleep okay. I know today is not the best day you have." She set a futon for him and cares his head the last time before leaving his room.  
Few moment after his aunt leave his room he open the handkerchief bundle that his aunt gave earlier, his eyes streamed with tears again as he see what inside, a jade ring that he know is his late mother's one and only's treasure and a note, written on the handkerchief with his father's hands writing

'Stay alive'

And that night kihyun cried himself to sleep.

Kihyun can't say that his life turned 180 degree after the event, yes, he have to work his ass out in the gisaeng house since 5 am until 10 pm everyday.  
He help other maids to cook, clean up the rooms, gardens, storages, bathroom, and then wash the clothes, linens, fold it back in place, and wash the dishes which is actually a daily task that he have been done since years ago when his mother got ills.  
He also have few new jobs to do such as stacking tons of papers, sleek hanbok, inks, paper fans, cleaning and taking care of the gayageum* and other music instrument as well as taking care of ponyo, the residence's dog.

His aunt never let him go near the gisaengs, which is an easy task as gisaeng usually really busy with their dance and music classes, literature and art classes, and they barely have time to even spare him a glance as they make up them self and goes to the party or event that have scheduled.  
Kihyun never know how hard is gisaeng life as he always see them giggling and all happy swarming around with a high classes man when he went to the market or around the village with his father or brother. Thinking of his past always bringing tears to his eyes, because even though he was not the luckiest boy even before this but he always have his father and brother to go through all the misery.

It's been 5 full moons passed after his father leave, and kihyun already mastered how to braid his own hair, wear the hanbok and act more 'gracefully' like a girl he have to be, just like how his aunt says as she teach kihyun all of these.  
His aunt also told him to keep remaining silence as much as possible to avoid suspicion which is almost useless as his voice not even broke and become deep even after he turn 15 and he don’t even have anyone to talk with in first place except for ponyo.

It is on his 16th years that his aunt finally let him go outside the house.  
Although his first outing is to fetch a gayageum that one of the gisaeng left in bar, Kihyun still went with glee, heart swelling in joy as he put his first step out of the gate.  
He study the map that his aunt scrabbled for him as direction to find the bar and kihyun finding the bar without much trouble, except for a little misturn he did because he's too distracted by a colourful lanterns that been sold near the river belt.  
He greet the staff of the bar and give the letter his aunt wrote to inform his propose. The maid look at him but then nods and told him to follow her.  
She bring her along thru the corridors, passing many rooms with muffled music and laugh.  
Kihyun think they must be at the very back of the place now and the rooms seems bigger and much quieter than the one in the front.  
As they reach a very long hallway, another maid called for the maid that guiding kihyun to help her with something.

"You can just go straight and find the third room from a big vase of bonsai tree there. You can just get in as the room should be empty by now. "

Kihyun nods at this and bows to thank the maid. He walk down the dim hallway and count three doors after a beautiful bonsai tree vase like instructed.  
He open the door without hesitation just to gasp in shock as he found someone still in the room.

"oh, hello, what do we have here"


	2. II. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kihyun met men that will change his life  
> either to a better state  
> or just to push him deeper into hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with a new chapter! (finally)  
> And I want to thank you all for the views, kudos and comment!  
> I honestly dont think I can get one or even deserve it.  
> Thank you so much! I love you all and hope you will enjoy this!

Kihyun froze in his place when he realize that the room is not empty as the maid say, the realization hit him and he quickly falls on his knee to give a low bow both in fears and shock.

“ I- I’m sorry, Naeuri*. I didn’t know that someone is still here as the maid say that the room is already empty.” He said in shaking voice. It’s the first time he talk with stranger after a very long time.

“ Ah, it’s okay, little one. I should not be here as my time is over actually, so it’s not yours or the maid fault.” The stranger said with deep and warm voice which relaxed him a bit. But Kihyun keep his head low, which earn him a chuckles from the stranger. 

“ You can raise your head, little one. I won’t kill you for looking at my face you know.” 

Chewing his lips in anxious, Kihyun slowly raised his head and get a clear view of the stranger. Magnificent, that’s the first thing that Kihyun have in mind as he saw the stranger.   
He have a big build body with slightly tan skin colour. The stranger face is prominent with sharp jaws and nose, cheeks high and eyebrows thick that curved beautifully, hooding the deep sharp dark eyes. He don’t look like a usual Korean man with his square jaws and thick lips. Kihyun blushed and lower his face again as he realized that he had been stare at the stranger longer than appropriate. 

“ I- I’m sorry, Naeuri. I came here to fetch the gayageum that my miss left here. “ He stuttered as he point at the gayageum sitting on the corner of the room.

“ Oh, I see. So you are working in a gisaeng house? “ The stranger asked as he collect the papers that Kihyun noticed scattered around him.

“ Y-yes, Naeuri“ Kihyun nods. “ I’m one of the servant that working there.”

“Oh really? I thought you are one of the gisaeng itself with that beautiful face.” Kihyun wondering how can this makes his heart beat faster and cheeks red as his face heated, He is a man, and the stranger is a man also. Kihyun should not be happy to be called pretty as he is a man, not a woman, but maybe, just maybe, he indeed like to be pretty.

“ I- I’m not, Naeuri. If you excuse me, i’ll take the gayageum and excuse myself.” He bows and mumbles with low voice.

“ Oh yes sure, but are you sure you can bring the gayageum yourself, little one? The gayageum look even bigger than yourself.” The man look at him and the gayageum both in mischief and pure concern. This little girl does look smaller that the gayageum, he thought.

“ It will be fine for me, Naeuri. I can bring it myself. “ Kihyun shuttled to the corner and take the instrument, tied it with the string and bring it on his back. “ I will take my leave now, Naeuri. I hope you have a good evening. “ He give the man a small bows before leave the room.

“ Little girl.” Kihyun freeze and turn to facing the stranger, his heart beating too fast for his liking that he thought he will collapse anytime soon.

“ Yes, Naeuri?”   
He can hear a shuffling sound before he saw a small handkerchief with a beautifully painted flower on it, Kihyun lifted up his head slightly to look at the man that handing it for him.

“ Use this as a handle so you won’t hurt your hands on that rope.”   
The older man fold the handkerchief and put it on the rope in front of his chest so he can hold into it instead of the rough rope he use.

“I-I’m sorry, Naeuri, but a lowly like me can’t accept this” Kihyun mutters and tries to give back the sleek handkerchief to the noble man.

“ No, I don’t know how far your house is and the rope will cut into your hand with the weight of that gayageum you carry.”   
He can hear a strictness on the man’s voice, and Kihyun know he can’t deny the order as the man wrap the handkerchief on his hand. 

“ I wish I can take you back to your house and carry the gayageum for you but I have a place that I must attend so this is the least thing I can do. Please accept it.”  
Kihyun feels more embarrassed as he hear that calming and soft voice again and almost melt into puddle, or wish he will so he can disappear and hide his face from this gorgeous man.

“T-thank you so much, Naeuri. I don’t know how to repay your kindness and will treasure it.” He give the man the lowest bow he can manage with huge gayageum strapped on his back. The man chuckles at Kihyun’s act but before he can tell the little girl he heard a voice calling for him behind the door.

“ Naeuri, it’s already the time to leave or you will late for the event.” 

“I-I will take my leave now, Naeuri.” Kihyun hurriedly bows before step back and open the door, he saw a man with dark guardman clothes waiting for his master. Kihyun gave a small bow as he passed through the person, missing a curious gaze that directed at him.

“Geez, Wonho, you know that you don’t have to follow me inside.” The man rolled his eyes at his guardian. “ and what with the naeuri thing, i told you you don’t need to call me that, I’m younger than you anyway, hyung.”

“ I’m just saving you from the rage you will get if you late. Also, I thought you are with someone so of course i have to call you that.” Wonho watched as the other man put on his Hwa*. “ and I was right, who was that girl?” Wonho asked curiously.

“ Hm? the girl? She just a servant in a gisaeng house. Why? “ He look at wonho but the man quickly shakes his head.

“ Nothing, I just thought i’ve seen her somewhere.”

“Heh, that's weird. Anyway, let's go. We both know that not only me that will receive wrath if we both late.” And with that, Wonho and his master leave the heonju-ga*, both mind filed with a small girl picture with a jade coloured chima*.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S:You know who the tanned man is right? * wiggles eyebrows*  
> Also like usual there will be few korean terms in it,and I have a reason why I do that.
> 
> Note:  
> *Naeuri : a tittle someone use to call a male in higher status than them. almost like a sir, but you will see why I use this instead of Sir. (oops, spoiler )  
> *Hwa : the boot like shoes that wore by higher-up male's in Joseon era.  
> *chima : The outer skirt part of hanbok

**Author's Note:**

> Notes:
> 
> *gisaeng: an entertaiment woman that similar to geisha in Japan. They come from lower class woman that pretty and attractive enough to be chosen as a gisaeng than a slave. Gisaeng work range from a performance both in dance and music to provide sexual service.  
> *hanbok: everyday daily wear that consist a shirt and a skirt for woman and a pants for man along with some kind of vest for noble man with higher class or scholars.  
> *gayageum: a traditional korean music instrument with 12 strings. Its a zither like instrument that commonly used on every music performance. The sound board size range from 146 to 160 cm tall that can weight up to 20 pounds.


End file.
